Familiar
by WritingOnTheStars
Summary: Because Seifer is bleeding out of his face and Quistis can't find it in herself to ignore him. Pre-game.


Just a little one shot featuring our favorite Instructor and Seifer, pre-game.

* * *

Try as she might, Quistis could never ignore a student in need. No matter her own schedule, she would go out of her way to help someone study, or give them extra magic training on the side. That was the kind of teacher she had wanted to be when she had obtained her license, and she strove to maintain that level of mentorship among students in need.

But as she watched Seifer bleed from his face, she had the strong urge to turn around and walk away. A glance at her watch confirmed that she had twenty minutes until her next class - one in which Seifer was a student.

Sighing, she detoured from her path to the door and made her way toward a picnic table on the far side of the courtyard. His palm was pressed against his forehead as blood dripped between his fingers. A slight smile crossed her lips as she saw other students give him a glance and practically run in the opposite direction. Quistis had always been a firm believer in the power of karma - you get what you give. Seifer gave out anger, and in return he received no compassion. Karmic justice as far as she was concerned.

Yet, she couldn't ignore the pooling crimson beneath the bench and the hunched over figure of someone who was supposedly under her guidance.

"Seifer," she said quietly, immediately bringing up her clipboard to block his fist. "Calm down, geesh. What did you do this time? Sparring again? Or did your ego just try to escape through the front of your face?"

Finally removing his hand from his forehead, Quistis could see a large diagonal gash that ran across the bridge of his nose. Plus the usual accompanying smirk, though the effect was lessened by the blood dripping off of his nose. Hyne, even when bleeding out of his face he was smug.

"Oh Instructor, comedy doesn't suit you." His eyes narrowed and inspected her up and down, his mouth twisting even more. "In fact, those clothes don't suit you either. SeeD uniforms are in general ridiculous, but they look even _worse_ on you."

She seriously considered punching him in the nose and retreating, but she knew that would let him feel like he had won. So she just sighed, pulled a towel out of her bag and began mopping up his face. For a moment he stiffened, but he didn't push her away. His eyes closed and his shoulders relaxed slightly, and for a moment she could believe that he was just a normal boy.

Really, she shouldn't call him a boy. He was only a couple months younger than herself. But age was just a number, and she quickly decided that 'boy' was indeed a good term for Seifer's mental and emotional capacity.

She found herself being more delicate than normal. Something about the peaceful look on Seifer's face was bringing out an odd feeling - something almost maternal. Now, Quistis knew she was a motherly person. It was why she was so adamant about becoming an instructor, even at such an early age. But this was different. It was something foreign and entirely familiar, and it perplexed her to no end why she was thinking like this while she was mopping blood from Seifer's face. It was like she had done this once before, in another life…

Pushing the odd fluttering aside, she tossed the bloodied towel into a nearby trash can and began to inspect his wound more closely.

"Hmm… clean cut… from a blade…" she muttered as she leaned closer, her fingertip delicately pressing against the edge of the gash.

Seifer hissed suddenly, and she realized that her face was precariously close to his. "Hyne-damn, Instructor. It's a cut, not something that you poke for shits and giggles."

His breath tickled the skin on her neck, and she immediately turned the nervous energy into anger. "Just sit still and shut your mouth." Bringing herself back to a safe distance, she let her hand hover over the cut as she began softly chanting a Cura spell. Cool, healing power escaped her fingertips and gently mended the cut into a light scar.

Perhaps it would be a nice reminder for him. Every time that he looked into the mirror, he would remember that he wasn't quite invincible.

"You know, I don't even want to know what happened. I can guess fairly well anyway." Looking over her handiwork one last time, she patted him on the shoulder awkwardly. "Class starts in five minutes, and if you're not there, I'm counting you absent."

For a moment he locked eyes with her, and she could see the begrudging thanks behind his cold gaze. But then he smirked again, and any semblance of kindness she felt toward him had dissipated. "So cruel. You could always give me another detention." He stalked forward slightly, but she refused to give up ground. She might hate him for being able to pick at her weakest spots, and she might be intimidated by his larger frame and overwhelming confidence.

But she wasn't afraid of Seifer Almasy.

"I'm still waiting on a private demonstration of that whip… you know, I-"

Suddenly the communicator at her hip buzzed, and she turned away from him with an impatient sigh. "Yes?" she droned easily, never removing her eyes from Seifer and his crooked smirk.

"Quistis?" Dr. Kadowaki greeted in her brief way, "Come get your student."

She raised an eyebrow at Seifer. He grin grew by the second. "I'm supposing someone is injured."

"Yes, yes… His injury's not serious. It'll probably leave a scar."

By this point Seifer was practically beaming, the newly healed gash crinkling happily. "Alright. At least he's not mortally wounded," she replied, venom dripping from her voice as Seifer began laughing so hard that she was sure the scar would bust right back open. She vowed that she wouldn't heal him again if that were the case.

"Right," the doctor replied, obviously not really listening to her end. "Now please come by."

Clicking off her transmitter, she sent Seifer another withering glare. "You're such an ass."

"Stick and stones, Instructor. Sticks and stone." He waved to her condescendingly as he retreated back into the Garden.

Realizing that class was starting soon, she followed him, making a beeline for the infirmary. If she had to guess, it was Squall laying in that hospital bed, and maybe he actually needed her help this time…


End file.
